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Barbara Dehn
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Barb Dehn is a nurse practitioner who sees patients, writes a daily health blog at www.NurseBarb.com, lectures at Stanford and appears regularly as Nurse Barb on ABC’s View from the Bay in San Francisco. She is the award-winning author of a series of women’s health guides on Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, Fertility and Menopause.

Blog Entries by Barbara Dehn

World's Tiniest Telescope Treats Blindness

(0) Comments | Posted April 5, 2013 | 1:03 PM

What you can read clearly here, but over 1.6 million American's can't, is an article on the world's smallest telescope. Smaller than a pea, this teeny tiny telescope is helping people with Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) improve their vision and their lives.

People with AMD have...

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When to Lie About Your Weight

(0) Comments | Posted January 22, 2013 | 4:42 PM

When should women lie about their weight?

First of all, I'm answering as myself, a real woman who lives in the real world, and then I'll answer as a health care provider. My personal policy is to never come clean and be exact about my weight. I mean really, is...

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6 Essential Questions About Breast Cancer Screening

(22) Comments | Posted September 5, 2012 | 10:38 AM

How many of you are confused by the seemingly endless rounds of recommendations about breast cancer screenings? I know that I am, and so this post is designed to help answer the six essential questions that will help you decide what to do about breast cancer screening.

1. When Should...

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Your Secret Weapon in Caregiving: BOTT Therapy

(1) Comments | Posted April 12, 2012 | 5:04 PM

In case you're not familiar with BOTT therapy, it's a brand new type of therapy that has been around for centuries, only under a much different name. "BOTT" therapy stands for what I and millions of Americans lovingly refer to as: "Biting Of The Tongue" therapy. After living for the...

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Billion Calorie Challenge: The UnDiet Diet

(19) Comments | Posted April 4, 2012 | 11:02 AM

Do you like challenges? If you're like most of my patients, the idea of a big insurmountable challenge is overwhelming. The idea of losing 20 or 30 pounds is so daunting, that many people give up before starting and retreat into a nice bowl of ice cream.

Mention a...

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What to Do If You Lose Your Health Insurance

(0) Comments | Posted December 8, 2011 | 1:31 PM

I recently received a phone call from a friend, who was in the hospital because their partner, who was only in his mid 40s, had a stroke. A stroke? He's too young, he doesn't smoke, what happened? My brain was working overtime. Maybe he has an inherited clotting disorder or...

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When Your 94- and 85-Year-Old In-Laws Come to Stay

(0) Comments | Posted November 15, 2011 | 2:35 PM

.....I heard a little voice in my head, "Put your oxygen mask on first." I knew that in order to help my 94- and 85-year-old in-laws, Felix and Edna, who were both in wheelchairs get through the TSA security line in the Albany airport in under 3 hours, I'd have...

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Haiti: Why No One Should Blame the Victims

(32) Comments | Posted January 17, 2010 | 5:26 PM

Like many of you, I am devastated by the images from Haiti. 
This natural disaster is gut wrenching. Viewing and thinking about the aftermath is 
overwhelming. Recently, I overheard someone in the grocery store blaming the victims. I could hardly believe that this person was attributing some of the fault...

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Insurance Denials for Pregnant Moms

(2) Comments | Posted September 22, 2009 | 12:45 PM

I work in an OB/GYN practice and am fortunate to provide prenatal care to women. Here's a peek behind the scenes that might explain why 67% of physicians surveyed favor insurance reform and a public option.

This is not covered. This is the common sentence in the numerous faxes...

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Sorry Virginia, Insurance companies aren't Santa

(12) Comments | Posted September 18, 2009 | 12:38 PM

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..... It was the Christmas season and I was at a holiday gathering at one of my husband's work friends. I had finished working a 12-hour shift in the Pediatric ICU. I changed into something festive and was looking...

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Homemade Formula: Recipe for Disaster

(0) Comments | Posted August 7, 2009 | 5:46 PM

The American Academy of Pediatrics has done a great job encouraging moms to breastfeed their babies exclusively for the first 6 months of life. As it turns out, very few moms are able to do this. Some estimates are that about 25-30% of moms are still breastfeeding at 6 months...

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Swine Flu: One Woman's Experience

(0) Comments | Posted August 4, 2009 | 5:31 PM

When the swine flu hits, it can be like a tsunami of symptoms or it can be mild. One of my patients, Kate (not her real name) related the following to help others know what they might experience. She was the ideal sick person, she did everything right!

Kate first...

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Breastfeeding Around the World

(10) Comments | Posted August 3, 2009 | 4:07 PM

I recently spoke to a nurse who works in Afghanistan providing women health care. She related a story that I've heard repeatedly, which causes me to shake my head in disbelief. She's teaching new mothers about the importance breastfeeding in the first few days of life. In her village infant...

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Swine Flu - What You Need at Home Now

(6) Comments | Posted April 30, 2009 | 6:49 PM

Today, I braced myself as I turned on the computer to head to the CDC website for the latest updates. As a mother, I didn't want to read about another mother's tragedy and heartache. As most of us, working in the trenches, had feared, the worst had happened. A 23-month-old...

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Swine Flu - Don't Panic

(17) Comments | Posted April 26, 2009 | 7:33 PM

Many of my friends are calling today, worried about Swine Flu, what it is and what they should do to protect themselves and their families.

First, do not panic.
This is what we know:

There have been 20 cases confirmed in the US - NONE HAVE DIED, and...

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Horses and Stem Cells

(1) Comments | Posted April 21, 2009 | 1:24 PM

If it's a good idea for a racehorse, then you can bet it's probably a great idea for humans.

A recent article by Tracy Gantz posted on Bloodhorse.com reported that researchers are now recommending that owners and breeders of thoroughbreds consider banking the umbilical cord stem cells from...

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Rocket Fuel & Perchlorates: The Antidote

(6) Comments | Posted April 7, 2009 | 11:29 AM

When you do a Google search for Rocket fuel, you find lots of interesting information and a few unexpected little gems. Apparently there are recipes for Rocket fuel chicken that can be spiced up to be Mexican or Thai. In case you're wondering, they don't add rocket fuel, that's just...

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Generic Swap Meet

(0) Comments | Posted March 25, 2009 | 2:20 PM

Welcome to the Generic Swap Meet!

Also known as health care in the United States. Guess what? It doesn't matter where your doctor, nurse practitioner or PA went to school, or how much time they spent taking your health history or examining you. Don't worry about those little details....

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How to be a BAD Valentine

(0) Comments | Posted February 12, 2009 | 12:47 PM

2009-02-12-images-valentinephoto.jpg
Happy Valentines Day!

Everyone is talking about how to be a good, romantic valentine. How about something different today? How about How to be a Bad Valentine. This is a woman's perspective and directed at men.

Most women I know say that...

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Yoga Poses

(5) Comments | Posted February 11, 2009 | 11:20 AM

This weekend, I went to a yoga class with some friends. I haven't been to a yoga class in 13 years, and things have changed. First, the clothes are a lot cuter now. 2nd, the mats come in ice-cream and M & M colors. It was a serene Yoga Studio,...

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